Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), such as that described in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) request for comment (RFC) 2131 and 3315, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, operate such that customer premise equipment (CPE) and internal routers (IRs) listen to no more than one DHCP server for prefix/address delegation when multiple DHCP servers are active on a particular link at any one time. This DHCP server restriction requires a home network, a private network or other common link to utilize a single DHCP server, commonly referred to as an edge router, to delegate IP prefixes, addressing blocks or other addressing related information to IRs and/or to assign IP addresses, addresses or other addressing information directly to CPE in the event no internal routers are positioned between the edge router and the CPE. The DHCP server restriction, as a result, limits the addressing available over a common link to IP prefixes and IP address within a domain of a delegating router associated with a service provider of the edge router.
The present invention contemplates a need for IRs and CPE associated with a common link to be delegated IP prefixes and/or IP addresses from multiple service providers. The ability to delegate IP prefixes and/or IP addresses from multiple service providers may be beneficial in allowing commonly linked IRs and CPE to support IP prefix/address dependent messaging, signaling and communications for multiple service providers. Support for multiple service provider prefixes can be important to permitting access to disparate networks supported by different service providers, such as but not necessary limited to facilitating access to a data network associated with an Internet service provider while facilitating access to a video network associated with a multiple system operator (MSO).
A single DHCP server, if compliant with IETF RFC 3633, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, may be able to delegate multiple IP prefixes if multiple IP prefixes are available within a domain of a service provider. RFC 3633 suffers from the DHCP server restrictions identified above with respect to RFC 2131 and 3315 at least in that it fails to define a mechanism by which prefixes sourced from multiple service providers can be delegated from a single edge router. This restriction accordingly prevents the use of RFC 3633 to facilitate delegating multiple IP prefixes for disparate service providers over a common link.